Today's Big News?

[hmmm_tea]

Shot UK soldier dies in hospital

So, let me get this straight. We send some soldiers to a war zone and one of them gets shot and dies.

OK, it's sad for his friends and family, but it's not really entirely surprising is it?

So, why is this big news? I'm sure there must have been lots of afghans die too, why not report about each one of them individually too?

If we're going to stick our oar into another countries politics and go in all guns blazing to enforce regime change, because we'd really like Osama Bin Ladens head on a stick, then surely it a forgone conclusion that some people aren't going to be happy with us doing this and might actually shoot back?

Comments

[tienelle.livejournal.com]

Boy, 2, dies after fair ride fall

Why is this big news? Fairground rides involve elevated platforms, often moving, from which two-year-olds could fall; it's hardly newsworthy that a two-year-old should die from such a fall.

Depeche Mode's singer falls ill

Why is this big news? When people go travelling abroad, eat badly, and dehydrate themselves under stage lights, it's hardly newsworthy that one should catch gastroenteritis.

EU slaps a record fine on Intel

Why is this big news? When a company bribes manufacturers to favour its products, that's anticompetitive practice which results in a fine dependent on the court's perception of the harm done. It's hardly newsworthy that Intel should receive a large fine for doing exactly that.

[hmmm-tea.livejournal.com]

Firstly there's a greater expectation of safety for a fairground than a war.

Celebrities will inherently attract more interest from the public - that's their nature

The Intel fine sends out a strong message about what the EU's opinion on what microchip market should be doing.

None of these were mentioned as major headlines on the today programme unlike the story linked to above.

According to that article there have been 158 UK troops killed in Afghanistan. What makes this one so special? They don't say. They also don't cover the number of Afghan's killed, meaning that the article tells me very little then to say that someone I have never met or even heard of has died of an obvious hazard.